Alexander Shulgin, Russia’s permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), is holding a press conference on “Chemical weapons in Syria” in The Hague.

No traces of the use of neuroparalytic phosphorus-organic agents have been found in Douma, Deputy Chief of Russia’s NBC protection troops Sergei Kikot stated during the conference.

Earlier this year, the organisation sent a fact-finding mission (FFM) to Syria in order to gather information on an alleged chemical weapons attack in Aleppo that occurred in November, reportedly injuring at least 46 people.

At the same time, Moscow has accused the Western-backed White Helmets of carrying out provocations in the region and collaborating with jihadists.

Didn approx 45 people get kidnapped by ISIS several month back? Didn they get released or could they be the victims showcased in one of those videoes, use by the OPCW?

Brother Ma

Good question.

Ma_Laoshi

Politics isn’t a science. Objective truth doesn’t just exist independently in a practical sense. It must be defended; enforced. At the hour of truth, Russia negotiated with the US about “Assad’s punishment”. If Assad wasn’t guilty of that which he was punished for, does this episode make look Russia good? The narratives have been established, and served their purpose; nobody cares about the facts at this point.

At the time it may have seemed like prudent realpolitik not to make a fuss about a couple cruise missiles if Trump was so desperate to have his little show. But Russia’s timidity in this issue was the precedent enabling Nikki Haley’s veto of a Syrian Idlib operation. As a result, the non-ISIS jihadist fighting strength in Syria is still essentially intact.

Brother Ma

True as it has allowed the Turks to entrench themselves in the area and obtain defacto annexation.